Device, method, and graphical user interface for navigation of concurrently open software applications

• US 10,261,668 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2018
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kocienda, Kenneth, Chaudhri, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): Tillery, Rashawn N
• Application Number:
  US15/990,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20180275839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display and one or more programs stored in memory for execution by one or more processors. The one or more programs include instructions for displaying a first application view that corresponds to a first application in a plurality of concurrently open applications. The one or more programs include instructions for detecting a first input, and in response, concurrently displaying a group of open application icons that correspond to at least some of the plurality of concurrently open applications with at least a portion of the first application view. The open application icons are displayed in accordance with a predetermined sequence of the open applications. The one or more programs include instructions for detecting a first gesture distinct from the first input, and in response, displaying a second application view that corresponds to a second application adjacent to the first application in the predetermined sequence.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a user interface of a first application on the touch-sensitive display without displaying a representation of an application other than the first application on the touch-sensitive display;

while displaying the user interface of the first application on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display, wherein, when the touch gesture starts, the user interface of the first application is displayed on the touch-sensitive display without displaying a representation of an application other than the first application; and

in response to detecting the touch gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a first direction, entering an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of a second application that is different from the first application; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the first application to displaying a user interface of the second application, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application includes displaying the user interface of the second application without displaying a representation of an application other than the second application on the touch-sensitive display.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is upward on the touch-sensitive display and the second direction is left to right on the touch-sensitive display.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is upward on the touch-sensitive display and the second direction is right to left on the touch-sensitive display.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the user interface of the second application, detecting a second touch gesture that includes movement of a second contact on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the second touch gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the second touch gesture includes movement of the second contact in the first direction, entering an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of a third application that is different from the first application and the second application; and

in accordance with a determination that the second touch gesture includes movement of the second contact in the second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the second application to displaying a user interface of the third application, wherein displaying the user interface of the third application includes displaying the user interface of the third application without displaying a representation of an application other than the third application on the touch-sensitive display.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the second application is displayed without entering the application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of the second application.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein further in response to detecting the touch gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the first application to displaying a user interface of a fourth application that is different from the first application and the second application, wherein displaying the user interface of a fourth application includes displaying the user interface of the fourth application without displaying a representation of an application other than the fourth application on the touch-sensitive display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the first application is displayed at a first position on the touch-sensitive display and the first application is at one end of a predetermined sequence of applications, and further in response to detecting the touch gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction, moving the user interface of the first application from the first position to a second position in accordance with the touch gesture such that at least a portion of the user interface of the first application moves off the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to ceasing to detect the touch gesture on the touch-sensitive display, moving the user interface of the first application back to the first position.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch gesture is a first touch gesture, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the user interface of the first application on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a second touch gesture on the touch-sensitive display that is distinct from the first touch gesture;

in response to detecting the second touch gesture;

ceasing to display the user interface of the first application; and

displaying a home screen.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch gesture is a multi-touch gesture.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the multi-touch gesture includes three or more touches.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while operating in an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying representations of a plurality of applications, detecting a second touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the second touch gesture, displaying a representation of an application that was not previously included in the concurrently displayed representations of applications.

12. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a user interface of a first application on the touch-sensitive display without displaying a representation of an application other than the first application on the touch-sensitive display;

while displaying the user interface of the first application on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display, wherein, when the touch gesture starts, the user interface of the first application is displayed on the touch-sensitive display without displaying a representation of an application other than the first application; and

in response to detecting the touch gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a first direction, entering an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of a second application that is different from the first application; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the first application to displaying a user interface of the second application, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application includes displaying the user interface of the second application without displaying a representation of an application other than the second application on the touch-sensitive display.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first direction is upward on the touch-sensitive display and the second direction is left to right on the touch-sensitive display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first direction is upward on the touch-sensitive display and the second direction is right to left on the touch-sensitive display.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

while displaying the user interface of the second application, detecting a second touch gesture that includes movement of a second contact on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the second touch gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the second touch gesture includes movement of the second contact in the first direction, entering an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of a third application that is different from the first application and the second application; and

in accordance with a determination that the second touch gesture includes movement of the second contact in the second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the second application to displaying a user interface of the third application, wherein displaying the user interface of the third application includes displaying the user interface of the third application without displaying a representation of an application other than the third application on the touch-sensitive display.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface of the second application is displayed without entering the application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of the second application.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein further in response to detecting the touch gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the first application to displaying a user interface of a fourth application that is different from the first application and the second application, wherein displaying the user interface of a fourth application includes displaying the user interface of the fourth application without displaying a representation of an application other than the fourth application on the touch-sensitive display.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface of the first application is displayed at a first position on the touch-sensitive display and the first application is at one end of a predetermined sequence of applications, and further in response to detecting the touch gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction, moving the user interface of the first application from the first position to a second position in accordance with the touch gesture such that at least a portion of the user interface of the first application moves off the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to ceasing to detect the touch gesture on the touch-sensitive display, moving the user interface of the first application back to the first position.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch gesture is a first touch gesture, the method further comprising:

while displaying the user interface of the first application on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a second touch gesture on the touch-sensitive display that is distinct from the first touch gesture;

in response to detecting the second touch gesture;

ceasing to display the user interface of the first application; and

displaying a home screen.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch gesture is a multi-touch gesture.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the multi-touch gesture includes three or more touches.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

while operating in an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying representations of a plurality of applications, detecting a second touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the second touch gesture, displaying a representation of an application that was not previously included in the concurrently displayed representations of applications.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying a user interface of a first application on the touch-sensitive display without displaying a representation of an application other than the first application on the touch-sensitive display;

while displaying the user interface of the first application on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display, wherein, when the touch gesture starts, the user interface of the first application is displayed on the touch-sensitive display without displaying a representation of an application other than the first application; and

in response to detecting the touch gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a first direction, entering an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of a second application that is different from the first application; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the first application to displaying a user interface of the second application, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application includes displaying the user interface of the second application without displaying a representation of an application other than the second application on the touch-sensitive display.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first direction is upward on the touch-sensitive display and the second direction is left to right on the touch-sensitive display.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first direction is upward on the touch-sensitive display and the second direction is right to left on the touch-sensitive display.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the user interface of the second application, detecting a second touch gesture that includes movement of a second contact on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the second touch gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the second touch gesture includes movement of the second contact in the first direction, entering an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of a third application that is different from the first application and the second application; and

in accordance with a determination that the second touch gesture includes movement of the second contact in the second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the second application to displaying a user interface of the third application, wherein displaying the user interface of the third application includes displaying the user interface of the third application without displaying a representation of an application other than the third application on the touch-sensitive display.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the user interface of the second application is displayed without entering the application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, representations of a plurality of applications including a representation of the second application.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein further in response to detecting the touch gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction, switching from displaying the user interface of the first application to displaying a user interface of a fourth application that is different from the first application and the second application, wherein displaying the user interface of a fourth application includes displaying the user interface of the fourth application without displaying a representation of an application other than the fourth application on the touch-sensitive display.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the user interface of the first application is displayed at a first position on the touch-sensitive display and the first application is at one end of a predetermined sequence of applications, and further in response to detecting the touch gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture includes movement of the contact in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction, moving the user interface of the first application from the first position to a second position in accordance with the touch gesture such that at least a portion of the user interface of the first application moves off the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to ceasing to detect the touch gesture on the touch-sensitive display, moving the user interface of the first application back to the first position.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the touch gesture is a first touch gesture, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the user interface of the first application on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a second touch gesture on the touch-sensitive display that is distinct from the first touch gesture;

in response to detecting the second touch gesture;

ceasing to display the user interface of the first application; and

displaying a home screen.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the touch gesture is a multi-touch gesture.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the multi-touch gesture includes three or more touches.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while operating in an application view selection mode that includes concurrently displaying representations of a plurality of applications, detecting a second touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the second touch gesture, displaying a representation of an application that was not previously included in the concurrently displayed representations of applications.